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transferring photos to my passport

Hi, I'm running out of space on my macbook pro and bought a "my passport". I'm trying to transfer my photos and videos from iPhoto to it but can't. I've read the iPhoto threads but don't understand how to follow the instructions. I'm wondering if there's something wrong with the passport because I can't drag ANYTHING over to it, not even small word docs. Does it need to be formatted first? How do I do this (Please spell it out as I'm not a techie person)? Once formatted, how do I find my library to drag it over? There is nothing on my Finder that says "My Pictures".

Also is it possible to drag iMovies over to the passport as well? How is this done?

Thank you so much!

Rick

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.5)

Posted on Oct 6, 2013 7:40 PM

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Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Oct 29, 2015 9:14 AM

MacBook Air OS X Version 10.9.5

If you ordered a “My Passport for MAC”, chances are the WD external drive has been pre-formatted/compatible to work with your Mac/Apple device including Mac/Apple’s Time Machine app that allows you to back up your information, pics, media, ect.


If your not sure, be safe call WD’s (Western Digital Technologies) support service line (USA To Call) or specifically pick your product 1st & solve online, which will depend on your area/country. However, these are the steps they will take you through to confirm that your computers info has indeed been backed up. I just got off the phone with them to get help with your exact question :-) LOL.


I purchased Western Digital My Passport 1 TB Portable Hard Drive for Mac, Silver by Western Digital

During the 1st use which can take hrs if you computer’s disc is full (mine took 3-6 hrs), “My Passport for Mac” backs up EVERYTHING on your computer. To check,

go to Finder,

Click on the icon of a hard drive saying “My Passport for Mac”.

Next click the 1st folder labeled Backups...

Next a folder with the name your registered the computer with shows, click that.

Next click any folder listed or “latest” folder showing.

Next click Macintosh HD

The last Folder listed should say “users”, click that.

Again, folder with the name your registered the computer with shows, click that.

Everything backed up shows. You should see a folder labeled “pictures”. Click that & you will see all your pics/pic folders you made

You should also see a folder labeled “music”, click that.

Now you will see: Garage Band, iTunes. Click iTunes, you should see folders: Album Artwork, iTunes Media, iTunes Music.

Clicking on any of the above mentioned folders shows what’s backed up.

Now that you know your items have been backed up, EJECT/REMOVE “My Passport for MAC” to be safe, and start deleting items you choose off your computer’s hard drive to free up space.

Reinsert your “My Passport for MAC” external drive when you need/want to retrieved backed up items you deleted off of your computer’s hard drive.

4 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Oct 29, 2015 9:14 AM in response to rick139

MacBook Air OS X Version 10.9.5

If you ordered a “My Passport for MAC”, chances are the WD external drive has been pre-formatted/compatible to work with your Mac/Apple device including Mac/Apple’s Time Machine app that allows you to back up your information, pics, media, ect.


If your not sure, be safe call WD’s (Western Digital Technologies) support service line (USA To Call) or specifically pick your product 1st & solve online, which will depend on your area/country. However, these are the steps they will take you through to confirm that your computers info has indeed been backed up. I just got off the phone with them to get help with your exact question :-) LOL.


I purchased Western Digital My Passport 1 TB Portable Hard Drive for Mac, Silver by Western Digital

During the 1st use which can take hrs if you computer’s disc is full (mine took 3-6 hrs), “My Passport for Mac” backs up EVERYTHING on your computer. To check,

go to Finder,

Click on the icon of a hard drive saying “My Passport for Mac”.

Next click the 1st folder labeled Backups...

Next a folder with the name your registered the computer with shows, click that.

Next click any folder listed or “latest” folder showing.

Next click Macintosh HD

The last Folder listed should say “users”, click that.

Again, folder with the name your registered the computer with shows, click that.

Everything backed up shows. You should see a folder labeled “pictures”. Click that & you will see all your pics/pic folders you made

You should also see a folder labeled “music”, click that.

Now you will see: Garage Band, iTunes. Click iTunes, you should see folders: Album Artwork, iTunes Media, iTunes Music.

Clicking on any of the above mentioned folders shows what’s backed up.

Now that you know your items have been backed up, EJECT/REMOVE “My Passport for MAC” to be safe, and start deleting items you choose off your computer’s hard drive to free up space.

Reinsert your “My Passport for MAC” external drive when you need/want to retrieved backed up items you deleted off of your computer’s hard drive.

Oct 6, 2013 8:37 PM in response to rick139

Note that none of your questions have any thing to do with iPhoto - for specific answer on how to use yoru MyPassport disk you need to contact their suppor tor support forums


By default the iPhoto library is stored in your Pictures folder (not in a my Pictures folder - not sure where you got that) - if you do not have a Pictures folder then you have deleted it - it is there by default on all new Macs


In general for a drive to be used as storage for your iPhoto library it must be formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) - you can check this by selecting the drive in the finder and getting info - it is is not formatted mac OS extended (journaled) you can reformat it using the MyPassport software or disk utility in your applications folder (note that this erases everything on the disk)


Once you have an extrenal drive that is formatted Mac OS extended (journaled)

Moving the iPhoto library is safe and simple - quit iPhoto and drag the iPhoto library intact as a single entity to the external drive - depress the option key and launch iPhoto using the "select library" option to point to the new location on the external drive - fully test it and then trash the old library on the internal drive (test one more time prior to emptying the trash)



And be sure that the External drive is formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) (iPhoto does not work with drives with other formats) and that it is always available prior to launching iPhoto



And backup soon and often - having your iPhoto library on an external drive is not a backup and if you are using Time Machine you need to check and be sure that TM is backing up your external drive



For iMovie support it is best to post in the iMovie forum


LN

transferring photos to my passport

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